Vision article: new advances in gas-solids fluidized beds for novel thermochemical reaction processes and energy storage

Abstract

This vision article accompanies a Special Issue of Applied Thermal Engineering dedicated to the 14th International Conference on Circulating Fluidized Bed Technology (CFB-14), held in Taiyuan, China from 21 to 24 July 2024. Drawing upon a collection of contributions from the conference, which have been included in the Special Issue, and a selection of recent studies in the published literature, this article synthesizes recent advances in gas-solids fluidized bed technology, with an emphasis on circulating fluidized beds for thermochemical conversion processes and energy storage, highlighting emerging trends and critical research directions. The article also explores carbon management pathways, including biomass co-firing, oxy-fuel combustion, and chemical looping combustion, emphasizing their roles in reducing CO₂ emissions and enhancing process efficiency. Based on this review and an identification of the state-of-the-art in CFB technology, the article provides a perspective for scientists, researchers and engineers that outlines key challenges, gaps, and identifies promising directions for future research and innovation. Challenges related to advanced experimental methods and measurement accuracy, model development and validation, novel reactor design and technology scale-up, and operational flexibility are discussed. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning with physical models and multimodal sensing is identified as a transformative direction for real-time optimization, predictive control, and digital twin development. The paper concludes with a forward-looking perspective that underscores the need for advanced in-situ measurement techniques, multi-scale, multi-physics simulation frameworks, and hybrid AI-enhanced approaches to enable the next generation of efficient, flexible, and sustainable fluidized bed technologies for clean energy conversion and carbon neutrality